The profession of medical sociologist in the future: implications for training programs

Abstract

After some background data about the general occupational role of medical sociology, I will describe the role patterns of sociology within the institutions of medicine, especially medical schools. I will then discuss the manpower of medical sociology, its sources and types of training. Finally, I will analyze the work of medical sociology in terms of the actual role demands, asking whether our current types of training are appropriate for their intended outcomes. It should be noted that throughout, I refer to the situation in the United States.1

Bloom Samuel W., 1965, ‘The Sociology of Medical Education: some comments on the state of a field’, The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 43 (April): 143–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Bloom, Samuel W., 1973, ‘From Learned Profession to Policy Science: a Trend Analysis of Sociology in Medical Education’, Presented at the Conference on Medical Sociology, The Polish Academy of Sciences and the International Sociological Association, Warsaw.Google Scholar

Cameron Norman, 1952, ‘Human Ecology and Personality in the Training of Physicians’, in American Psychiatric Association, Psychiatry and Medical Education, (Report of the 1951 Conference on Psychiatric Education), Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar